Despite two traffic deaths in the first three months of 2020, the number of reported traffic accidents was down 8.2% compared to the same period last year, reaching 3,357, the National Statistics Office said.
The NSO said the northern harbour district registered the most accidents, with 1,170 cases or 34.9% of all accidents.
Traffic casualties decreased by 15% to 306 over the same period in 2019. Grievously injured persons amounted to 59, and consisted of 36 drivers, nine passengers and 14 pedestrians/cyclists.
The injuries suffered by one driver and one pedestrian proved fatal. During this quarter, one more fatality occurred than in the same period in 2019 took place.
The majority of the grievously injured were males (66.1%). The majority of casualties involved persons in the 41 to 59 age bracket.
The largest number of traffic casualties (70.3%) involved passenger cars, followed by motorcycles (22.5%) and goods-carrying vehicles (4.6%). The two fatalities comprised of a motorcycle driver and a pedestrian hit by a passenger car. Ten cyclists were hit in traffic accidents, two of whom suffered grievous injuries.
Traffic casualties caused by accidents between vehicles topped the list with 72.2% of all road traffic casualties.
The highest number of traffic casualties occurred on Saturdays and Sundays with 56 and 54 casualties respectively, while the highest number of road traffic accidents occurred on Fridays with 552 cases or 16.4% of the total.
The time bracket during which most road traffic accidents occurred was between noon and 2.59pm with 745 cases or 22.2% of the total, followed by the 9 to 11.59am time bracket with 735 cases. The least number of accidents occurring daily took place between 3 and 5.59am with 67 cases.
The highest incidence of road traffic accidents was registered in Birkirkara with 277 cases, followed by Qormi and Mosta, with 180 and 164 reported accidents respectively.
Four out of five localities that registered the lowest number of road traffic accidents are in the Gozo and Comino district.
Only one traffic accident was recorded in Għarb, Mdina and San Lawrenz. Għasri and Qala registered two traffic accidents each.
The southeastern district recorded the highest increment in traffic accidents when compared to the first quarter of the previous year, with an increase of 5.6%. On the other hand, the western district registered the highest percentage decrease in traffic accidents - 17.8% - when compared to same quarter in 2019.